Titans vs. Packers: 5 burning questions

Five burning questions as the Titans (4-5) prepare to face the Packers (4-4) on Sunday at Nissan Stadium, where they’ll attempt to push their record back to .500 for the fourth time this season.

Will Mariota hang onto the ball?

Titans quarterback Marcus Mariota(Photo: Rick Scuteri / AP)

Marcus Mariota, the Titans’ second-year quarterback, has been exceptional, throwing for 13 touchdowns and running for two more over the past five weeks, the longest stretch of games with multiple touchdown passes by a Titans quarterback since Billy Volek in 2004.

But he also has been maddening, committing 12 turnovers in nine games this season. He’s thrown eight interceptions and fumbled seven times, losing four of them, which leads all NFL players.

The Titans are undefeated this season when Mariota does not commit a turnover, but that covers only two games. They’re 2-5 when he’s had at least one turnover. And they’re 0-3 in games when he’s committed multiple turnovers.

The Titans’ 43-35 loss to the Chargers on Sunday — when Mariota tossed two interceptions and lost a fumble, with two of those returned for touchdowns — marked the second time this season he’s turned the ball over three times. The Titans are 0-3 this season in games in which they’ve had a turnover returned for a score.

Can the Titans run effectively?

DeMarco Murray was dealing with a toe injury last week and rushed for only 51 yards on 14 carries, his second-least productive game of the season.

Some of his lack of production can be attributed to the Titans trailing 16-0 early — he had just four carries for 11 yards in the first quarter. And some can be attributed to the Chargers’ top-10 run defense, although they were paper-thin at inside linebacker because of injuries.

Murray remains second in the league with 807 rushing yards, behind Cowboys rookie Ezekiel Elliott. And the Titans still have the third-ranked rushing offense in the league despite running for a season-low 80 yards at San Diego.

But the Packers have the top-rated rushing defense in the NFL. They're allowing just 75.8 yards per game.

Titans rookie Derrick Henry could miss the game with a calf injury suffered in pregame warmups Sunday. Antonio Andrews again would serve as Murray’s backup. The Titans also promoted running back David Fluellen from the practice squad to the 53-man roster Tuesday. They waived cornerback Cody Riggs.

Will the defense be able to pressure Rodgers?

The Titans rate among the league leaders with 23 sacks this season, but 12 came over a two-game span against the banged up offensive lines of the Dolphins and Browns.

They registered one sack and five hits on Chargers quarterback Philip Rivers on Sunday but were unable to force him into a turnover. If they can’t get after Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers, it’ll be a long day.

Rodgers has been sacked 17 times in eight games and has thrown 20 touchdowns to five interceptions.

The Titans have a minus-6 turnover ratio this season, which rates among the worst in the league. They have six interceptions and one fumble recovery.

Is this where the run defense reasserts itself?

The Titans were able to bottle up several quality running backs this season and hadn’t allowed a 100-yard rusher until Sunday, when the Chargers' Melvin Gordon reached the century mark in the first half.

Gordon gashed the Titans for 196 rushing yards and a touchdown on 32 carries, 103 of those yards coming after contact, according to the analytics website Pro Football Focus. He scored on a 1-yard run to give the Chargers a 26-21 lead in the third quarter, which they never relinquished, and he ended any hope of a Titans victory by breaking a 47-yard run on third-and-7 late in the fourth.

The Packers have been decimated by injuries at running back this season and have a league-low two touchdowns on the ground. They’ll be without Eddie Lacy on Sunday, but James Starks might return from a knee injury that’s kept him sidelined since Week 5.

Can Titans continue to build a home-field advantage?

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Nissan Stadium.(Photo: Mike Organ / The Tennessean)

The Titans have won two of their past three home games, with victories against the Browns and Jaguars sandwiching a loss to the Colts.

They have yet to defeat a team with a winning record this season at Nissan Stadium, and they won’t get a chance Sunday. The Packers are an uncharacteristic 4-4 and have lost two in a row, including against the Colts on Sunday at Lambeau Field.

The Titans have won three of the past four games against the Packers, including the only two played in Nashville. The Packers won the most recent matchup, 55-7, on Dec. 23, 2012, in Green Bay.